Windmill



(fio Model.)

F. WITHERSPOON.

WINDMILL.

Patented June 5, 1883.

adj.

ATTORNEYS N. PErmswhm-m'm m Wxhing on. n.0,

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK wirntiinsroon, or PARIS, TEXAS.

WINDMYILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,066, dated June 5, 1883.

Application filed August 5, 1882. (No modeL) Toall whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK Wrrrrnnsroon, 'a citizen of the United States, a resident of Paris, in the county of Lamar and State of Texas, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in lVindmills; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top view of my windmill. Fig. 2 is a side view, and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views.

This invention has relation to wind-wheels turning around a vertical axis; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the radial arms of the wheel-frame and the vertical pivot-posts thereon, the sails or fans pivoted to said posts, the pivoted detents, and

the vertical pivot-posts E, to each of which a sail or fan, F, is pivoted on bearings g of the post, so that the sail or fan can swing entirely around said post. The sails or fans may be made of canvas, stretched on suitable frames, or they may be of metal or wood, or both. Usually they are of rectangular form, and, whatever be their shape, the lower edge h should be arranged to pass near the upper surface of the radial arm D as the wheel rotates. Y

To one side of each arm D is pivoted a detent, K, the upper end of which projects sufficiently above the upper surface of said arm to engage the lower edge of the sail or fan near its free.v

end, as shown in the drawings. The detent is provided with a series of perforations or bearlugs, Z, for the pivot-pin m, so that it is adjustable, and can be arranged to project more or less above the surface of the radial arm, according to the rate of speed at which a disengagement is required to be effected.

Connected by a rod or strip, N, to the lower end of each detent is a depending lever, P, which is pivoted at its upper end to the outer end of the arm D, and attached to the lower end of this lever is the adjustable weight W. The position of this weight determines the height to which the lever will rise at a given rate of speed of the wheel, and the lever is designed to act as a governor to operate the detent K in a high wind, turning said detent downward so that it will not engage the sail or fan, and thereby allowing said sail or fan to swing freely in the wind, so that the revolutions of the wheel are checked.

It will be observed that the detent of each arm D holds the sail pivoted to the post thereof during a little m ore than a half-revolution, and then the action of the wind disengages the sail from the detent and causes it to swing freely in returning toward the wind. The power of the wind is thus rendered effective on the same side of the wheel constantly, and the wheel will move about its vertical axis with great rapidity. At the same time the governing -levers will swing outward and upward. Should the wind become high, tending to break or injure the operating parts of the wheel, the governing-levers will be caused to rise still higher, and will disengage the detents from the sails, allowing them to swing freely in the direction of the wind on all the arms of the wheel.

Each sail or fan may be provided with an arm, on which an adjustable governingweight may be arranged.

The detents may be arranged one at the top and another at the bottom of each fan, if of large size; or a central arrangement maybe adopted.

A governor has been connected to the main shaft or post of a wind-wheel in such a manner as to raise and lower projections on a sleeve encircling the shaft and cause them to become engaged with and disengaged from the pivotal bladesof the win d-wheel to regulate the speed; and this construction is not broadly claimed herein.

Having described this invention, what I In testimony that I claim the above I have 10 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, hereunto subscribed my name in the presence is of two witnesses.

A wind-wheel consisting of a central bearing having horizontal arms D pivot-p osts E there- FRANK XVITHERSPOON, on, sails or fans F, pivoted to said posts, pivoted detents K, pivoted governing-levers P, connect- \Vitnesses ed to said detents, and the adjustable weights l P. F. TVITHERsPoo XV on said levers, substantially as specified. E. S. CONNOR. 

